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Dear bro. Turner:
 To
what extent did some under the Law of Moses have remission of
sins? Did they have to "remember" all past sins, or
only those of the past year? (Heb. 10:1-f., Lev. 4: 5:) BOB
Reply:
"Forgiveness"
and "remission" are not uncommon in the O.T.; and for
all practical purposes, could be accepted by people of that day
in the most obvious sense. The life (blood) of an animal was
given upon the altar "to make atonement for.... souls"
(Lev. 17: 11). Just how well the Israelites understood the
figurative nature of the offerings is not clear — I suspect it
was with them as with us, i.e.; some did, and some did not
understand. We know the animal sacrifice "pointed" to
Christ on the cross, by whom the shadow found its substance; and
it is clear that they knew symbolism was involved (1 Kings.
8:10-11, 27-30).
How
much did they "remember"? Heb. 10:1-4 seems to refer
to a consciousness of sin, generally, rather than to specific
sins. (Cf. Heb. 9:7-10 and Lev. 16:32-34 "because of all
their sins.") Perhaps their (general) sin offerings called
for an attitude comparable to that of today's saint who
"prays without ceasing" (1 Thes. 5:17) and manifests a
humble dependence upon God by continual (present active)
confession of sins (1 Jn. 1:9). The Hebrew writers seem to use
this annual "remembrance" as proof that the O.T.
worshipers recognized the inadequacy of animal sacrifice, and
looked for "good things to come." Knowingly or
otherwise, they "drank of that spiritual rock...
Christ" (1 Cor. 10:4).
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I
must conclude that those under the Old Law who were said to be
"forgiven" were indeed forgiven — with the
sin-penalty payment in prospect, i.e. looking to Christ (Rom.
3:25).
Dear brother:
Is
there any person that has lived on this earth, NOW in the
presence of God in heaven? T.B.
Reply:
The
scriptures cited in the full correspondence (Eph. 1:21; 4:10;
Col. 3:1; 1 Pet. 3:21-22; Eccl. 5:2; Rev. 4:1-f; Heb. 11:5 and
Jn. 3:13) indicate that the writer has access to the same final
source of information as do I. He knows God is in heaven, Christ
is at His right hand (an expression that means
"favored" position, but which also puts Christ in
heaven, Heb. 9:24) and, although Enoch was translated and
"God took him" (Heb. 11:5), he knows "no man hath
ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even
the Son of man which is in heaven" (Jn. 3:13). (A.S.
footnote says many ancient authorities omit the last four words;
but the whole passage is evidently prospective.)
Controversy
over such matters is a vain thing, complicated by accommodative
language, "heaven" used in more than one sense,
"person" applied variously, etc. Far better we study
and work to get to heaven, than to worry about the present state
of the dead. Nor have we reason to believe that one who happens
to be an editor, even of a "Question and Answer"
column, knows any more about such matters than the next fellow
who will read the scriptures with care.
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